Brantley Lawmen ‘Pit’ Pickup Truck To End 100 mph Chase

Photo By KATHY HENDRIX
A driver exceeding speeds of 100 mph took lawmen on a lengthy chase through Raybon and Nahunta Thursday, ending with a crash on Knox Road at the South Georgia Parkway as a Brantley County deputy executed a pit maneuver on the truck (visible at right).

NAHUNTA — A chase reaching speeds of more than 100 mph through Raybon and Nahunta Thursday afternoon resulted in the crash of the fleeing vehicle as lawmen conducted a pit maneuver near the settlement of Lulaton on Knox Road (a dirt road) where it intersects with the South Georgia Parkway, said a Brantley County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.
Jamie Jackson Crews, 39, was taken into custody on multiple charges including driving under the influence of drugs, said Officer Craig Pittman.
Neither Crews, not his passenger, Brittany Houser, 23, was injured, Pittman said. Both were checked out by Brantley County Emergency Medical Service technicians.
Houser faces no charges, he said.
It wasn’t the first time Crews has led police on a vehicle chase, he said.
“Mr. Crews has long history of fleeing and attempting to elude,” Pittman said.
The chase started about 4:15 p.m. in the Raybon community when a deputy tried to stop Crews for driving without a license, said Pittman. He said the deputy recognized Crews and knew he wasn’t legally licensed to drive.
Pittman said Crews drove along several dirt roads in the Raybon community to Nahunta, through downtown and toward Hickox, then turned back toward Lulaton.
“Brantley deputies received permission to execute the pit maneuver on Knox Road at Georgia 520,” said Pittman. “He was going over 100 mph even down the dirt roads. And he ran stop signs when he crossed Highway 82.”
In addition to DUI, Crews was charged with speeding, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving on the wrong side of the road, improper turning, using an emergency lane for a non-emergency and two counts of failure to obey stop signs, said Pittman.
More charges are possible, Pittman said, after the completion of the investigation.
Georgia State Patrol Trooper Sherman McClain was called to investigate the pit maneuver crash involving the deputy car, said Pittman.